Calculating machine



sew. 29, 1925.

A. T. MOE

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed April 25 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 29, 1925.

A. T. MOE

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed April 25 &

Sept. 29, 1925.

' 1,555,226 A. T. MOE

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet '5 Sept. 29, 1925. 1,555,226

I A. T. MOE

CALCULATING MACHINE A 5 Fnia m 25. 1925 4 Sheets-Shed 4 75 7e 26 70 Iig 5 W W M 6 A; 6

75 72 if" e/ g l Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

1,555,220; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.V.-R

AnoLr THORVALD MOE, or CHR-ISTIANIA, NORWAY.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

Application filed April 25, 1923. Serial No. 634,584.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLF THORVALD Mon, mechanician, citizen of Norway, residing at Torvet 9, Christiania, Norway,have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Calculating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to calculating machines and it consists of the novel 10. construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described and claimed. J

,The main object of this invention is to produce a calculating machine, which is sim- 16- ple and concentrated, so that it .is cheap to manufacture and does not occupy much space. 1

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which a Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a portion of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view of the =2 machine, the top plate of the case having been removed.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section through the key mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 4 shows a section taken on the line .30 IIIL -IIII in Fig. 3, the section being seen from left in Fig. 3. Fig. 5- shows a vertical longitudinal section through the actuating mechanism of the addition wheel and the mechanism control-. ling the carrying, and p Fig. 6 is a corresponding plan view, partly shown in section.

lh invention relates to the type of calculating machines in whichthe numbers are set in the addition mechanism by depression of keys, which through suitable abutments limit the rearwardmovement (which means in the direction away from the operator) of a rod or rail to a distance depending upon the value of the depressed key, whereby the actuating mechanism of theaddition wheels soset, that each wheel is turned forward the steps desired, when the rod or bar is movedback to its normal position.

According to the present invention each of said rods or bars are provided with suchabutments for cooperation with the abutments of the keys,'that each key may be given exactly the same shape, whereas in known machines of the type referred to, each of the keys has a shape different from those of the other keys in, the same series of keys.

The key mechanism and the stop, and release arrangements therefore will now be described in detail.

Each additional wheel 1 is turned by means of a rack 2 formed in a bar 3. The bars 3 are slidably mounted in corresponding slots formed in walls or partitions 4 and 5 respectively, which depend from. the case of the machine. The bars 3 extend adjacent to the corresponding series of keys.

Each bar 3 is at the upper edge thereof provided with eight grooves 6, each of which cooperate with a nose 7 arrangedupon each of the keys 8, which are situated adjacent to the bar. The length of each of said grooves is so chosen, that when a certain key is de pressed and the operating handle turned, the bar3 is allowed to slide such distance thatthe actuating mechanism of the addition wheels is thereby imparted the movement necessary to turn the addition wheels the number of the steps determined by the key depressed, the movement of the bar being limited by the rearmost edge 6 of the groove 6- abutting against the nose 7 of the key. The bar 3 has no groove corresponding to the key allotted for the figure nine, this key not being provided with a nose. However, this key, when depressed, releases the bar 3, whereupon the movement of said bar is limited by an abutment which will be described below. At that side of each row of the keys 8, which is opposite to the bar 3, is arranged a bar 9 provided at each end thereof with a lug 10 by means of which the bar is pivotally mounted in the partitions i and 5 respectively. By means of springs 11 which pass from the upper edge of one bar 9 to thewlower edge of the adjacent bar 9, the lower edge of the bars are tilted in against the shaft of the keys, the bars thereby being held in an inclined position. Each key-shaftis provided with a stop-nose or projection 12 and also with a projecting portion 13. When a key has been depressed the lower edge of the bar 9 rests upon the stop-nose 12 and the portion 13 causes the bar to occupy a somewhat more vertical posltion, as shown atthe depressed key in Fig. 4. Each bar 9 carries a curved arm 14 which in normal position of the bars project into a groove 15 in the corresponding bar 3, thereby look ing the latter one. However, when a key is depressed (see Fig. 1) the stop-nose 12 thercof will cause the bar 9 to move into such position that the arm 1 1 is swung out of the groove 15 whereby the bar 3 is released. Then the bar 3 may be moved until the nose 7 of the depressed key abuts against the rearmost edge of the corresponding groove 6. The lower portion of each key 8 is guided in holes in a plate 16, which is arranged between the partitions 4t and 5, and the depressed'keys are moved back to normal position by means of springs 17, which are situated between said plate 16 and suitable shoulders upon the key-shaft.

Vhen a bar 3 slides as mentioned above, the rack 2 acts upon a toothed wheel 18, which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 19 of the addition wheels 1. To the wheel 18 is rigidly connected an arm 20, which carries a pivotally mounted actuating-pawl 21. A. spring 22 keeps the pawl 21 in mesh with pins 23. which in the usual way are arranged upon the loosely mounted addition wheel 1. (In the example here shown the number of pins 23'is twenty). Upon the wheel 1 are ar 'anged, in diametrically opposite positions,.two pins 24:, which act upon the carrying mechanism, that will be described later. At the lower side of each addition wheel a retaining pawl 25 acts from outward against the pins 23. This pawl is pivotally mounted upon a transverse shaft 26 and is kept in mesh with the pins 23 by means of a spring 27.

The movement of the bars 3 to the right (Fig. 1) is effected by means of an actuating arm 28, one arm being provided for each bar. Said actuating arms may consist of a spring-like formed metal rod, which is wound around an actuating shaft 29 in the case in such manner that the arm proper 28, forms the one end of a screw spring. On the shaft 29 is also loosely mounted a frame L consisting of one transverse portion 30' and two end portions 31 which frame serves to retain the arms 28 which rest against the transverse portion 30, the other end 32 of the screw spring, pro ect1ng upwards at the other side of the shaft and being secured to the portion 30 by means of a screw 33. When the frame 30, 31 is tilted on the shaft 29, the upper end of the arm 28 acts against a pin 34 upon each bar 3, whereby the bars are moved forward or towards right in Fig. 3. Usually all bars are not moved the same distance, because they are locked in different positions. lVhen a certain bar 3 is locked and the frame 30, 31 continues its movement, the arm 28 is bent to the left, against the spring action thereof, and leaves the transverse portion 30. The strength of the spring action of the arm 28 and accordingly the strength of its action upon the bars 3 may be regulated by adjustment of the screw 33.

\Vhen a key alloted to the figure nine is depressed, it only releases the corresponding bar 3, because the key is not provided with means for limiting the sliding of the bar towards the front; The limiting means which act in this case, is the pin 34, the dis tance between the front side of said pin and the partition at being so chosen that the movement of the bar 3 corresponds to the movement of the actuating pawl 21 over nine of the addition wheel pins The-arms 28 are actuated by the following arrangement: To one of the end portions 31 is secured a vertically extending operating arm 35, which near the top thereof by means of a pivot 36 carries va pivotally mounted lever 37, the other end of which pivots on a pin 38 that is secured to the operating-handle 39 of the machine. The handle 39 is mounted upon a shaft 40, journalled in the case. The end positions of the handle 39 are determined by pins 11. covered with a sleeve 42 of rubber or similar material, to prevent noise. To the pins 411 is also secured a plate 43, which at its lower edge carries a curved bar 41 1. The curvature of the bar corresponds to a circle, whose centre lies in the axis of the shaft 40, and the bar is provided with small teeth-M, which cooperate with a reversible pawl 46, that is pivotally mounted upon a lug 15 on the handle 39, and is normally kept in its middle position by means of a spring 17. The pawl 16 coacts with the teeth 1% of the bar during the operation of the handle 39 in either direction, in such manner that when the movement of the handle 39 is once begun, it can not be returned to the original position until it is first moved over the entire length of the bar, to the other end position.

On the pin 38 of the handle 39 is also pivotally mounted a lever 18, the other end of which passes through a slot 19 in the partition 5. On that portion of the lever 48 which passes through the partition 5, 18 formed an oblique surface 50, which is so arranged that at the moment the handle 39 and accordingly also the lever 48 moves to the right, the surface 50which in the position of the lever 18 shown in Fig. 3 rests against the bottom of the slot 49will slide downwards thereby lowering the outer end of the lever 48. This causes a nose 51 on the lever 18 to be lowered, into mesh with a projecting portion 52 of an angle-lever which by means of a screw 54 is pivotally mounted on the case. Theother arm of the lever 53 co-operates with the oblique end surface 55 of a releasing bar 58, which by means of screws 56 passing through slots 57 in the bar, is slidably mounted on the par tit-ion 5. The bar is provided with a series of grooves-59, into each of which pro-- jects the lower edge of the corresponding ing the latter. This causes one of the arms of the lever 53 to slide upwards along the oblique end surface of the releasing-bar 58, whereby'the bar is moved to the right (Fig. 4) and the side walls of the grooves turn the bars 9 against the action of the springs 11, thus unlocking the keys 8, which are then pressed upwards and into normal rest-position by the springs 17. lVhen the nose 51 has turned the lever 53 so far that the keys are unlocked, the inclined surface 50 of the releasing-bar 58 reaches the bottom of the slot 49, and during the continued movement of the handle towards left, the lever 48 is thus again raised, whereby the nose 51 is moved out of mesh with the projection 52 and the lever 53'is released. A spring then moves the lever 53 to normal position, and at the sametime the lock-bar 9, through the action of the springs 11, moves the bar 58 towards left (Fig. 4) into its original position.

The carrying mechanism used in the present calculating machine is previously known as to its proper principle, but the several parts thereof are constructed and arranged in a new and very simple and eflicient manner, as will be seen from the following.

On the shaft: 26, which? carries the retaim ingpawls 25, is also pivotally mounted a plate 61, which is provided with a knee shaped finger 62, that rests against the foremost side 63 of a groove 64 in a reinforcing partition 65, Wh1Cl1'1S arranged between adjacentaddition wheels, whereby the plate 61 is kept at a certain distance from the wheel 1. At a'distance from the top thereof, the plate 61 is provided with a'seat 66 adapted to cooperate with a projecting nose on the actuating pawl 21. hen the pawl 21 occupies the position shown in Fig. 5, its position will beconsidered normal. WVhen an addition wheel 1 turns from that position in which the figure 9 is seen in the opening 68 (Fig. 1) and into the next position in which the figure 0 is seen in the said opening, the pin 24 on said addition wheel will meet and slide upon the inner bevelled end surface 69 of the finger 62 of the addition wheel of next higher order, thereby pressing said finger backwards. This releases the pawl-nose 67 from the seat 66, and allows the pawl-nose '67, together with the wheel 1 to turn one step forward until the pawlnose meets a shaft '70, which passes through the partitions and serves as an abutment for the pawLnose 67. The mentioned extrastep movement of the wheel 1 and the pawlnose 67 (the carrying movement) caused by a spring 71, which serves to bring the bar 3 back to original position, the groove 15 in the bar 13, which takes up the locking arm 14, being made so broad that the necessary movement of the bar 3 is allowed dur ing the carrying operation.

If the pawl 21 is still continuing itsnormal actuating movement and thus has not yet reached the normal rest position (shown in Fig. 5), in the moment when the carrying pin 24 releases the seat 66 from the nose 67, the arm 61 is, during its backward movement, locked in a groove 72, which is arranged in a lever 74 that pivots on a shaft 73. The rear end of said lever 74 is connected to the lower end of the arm 61 by means of a spring 75, which on the one side presses the lever 74 against the lower side of the knee-lever 62 and on the other side presses the arm 61 against the side wall of the groove 64. During the last part of the carrying movement of the pawl 21 and just before the pawl abuts against the shaft 7 O, a finger 76, which is connected to the toothed wheel 18, will abut against the inner end of the lever 74 and press the same down, Whereby the arm 61 carrying the seat 66 is again released and tilts into normal position, resting against the side wall 63 of the groove 64.

It is thus seen, that during or after an addition, some of the pawls 21 may be in position of rest, whereas others may be turned one extra step forward, thus resting again-st the shaft 70. Now, in order that the carrying mechanism described above shall be able to carry atthe following depression of a key 8, all of the last named pawls must be brought back to the position shown in Fig. 5, because the pawls 21 only are able to carry from this position. This return of the pawls 21 is effected during the first part of the rearward movement of the bar 3, the play between the foremost side wall of thegroove 15 and the rear edge of the arm 14 being then eliminated. As to those bars 3, whose actuating pawls 21 have not carriedduring the last addition, no movement of said bars will occur, the play space between edge of the arm 14 and the edge of the groove 15 being situated at the right side of the arm 14 (Fig. 3), and no play space will exist at the left side of the arm 14 to allow for the forward movement of the bar 3.

The zero-setting of the addition wheels is effected by means of the following arrangement On the shaft 77 is pivotally mounted a U-shaped member 7 8, whose transverse portion ext-ends below the rear part of the retaining pawls 25. To one of the branches of said men'iber 78 is secured a lever 80, the end of which extends through and is verti cally guided by a slot 79 in the partition 5. Connected to the lever 80 is a key 81, which also carries a stop linger 82 for the bar 3 of the addition wheel of the highest order,

no key-series being arranged for said addition wheel.

hen the key 81 is depressed, the lever 80 slides along an inclined surface 83 of a groove, which is arranged in the transverse bar 58. This causes the bar 58 tomove to the right (Fig. 1) whereby all lock-bars 9 are tilted and move their corresponding arms 14 out of the grooves 15 in the bars 3, whereby the latter ones are released. At the same time the transverse portion of the U-shaped member 78 is raised to abut against the retaining pawls 25 and moves the same out of mesh with the pins 23. hen the operating handle is now turned forward and then backward again, all of the bars 3 move, and carry with them their corresponding actuating pawls 21, which latter by friction move their corresponding addition wheels 1, until the carrying pawls 2a of the Wheels 1 abut against the lower edge of the knee-shaped linger 62. The addition wheels then are zero-set, the figure 0 appearing in all of the apertures 68 of the case.

Vhen the bars 3 are at rest, a certain play must exist between the actuating arms 28 and the pins 3 1, to allow for the forward movement of the bars 3 during the carrying movement, and for this reason the springs 71 can not assist in causing the last part of the return movement of the operating handle.

Said movement is effected by means of the following arrangement: The top portion of the arm 35 which is connected to the frame 30, 31 forms two bevelled surfaces 8* and 85 respectively, on which slide a roller 86 that is mounted upon one end of a knee-lever 87, pivotally mounted upon the addition wheel shaft 19. The other end of the said lever 87 is connected to the one end of a coil spring 88, the other end of which is secured to a transverse member 89, arranged within the case. The spring 88 acts upon the lower end of the lever 87 to press the roller 86 against one of the bevelled surfaces 8 1 or Then the handle 39 is moved towards the right (Fig. 1) the roller 86 will press against the surface 8 1 and counteract the action of the springs 71, whereas, during the last part of the return movement of the handle 33), the roller 86 will press against the surface 85 and move the actuating arms 28 as well as the handle 39 into position of rest.

The calculating machine acts in the following manner:

iVhen an addition is to be performed, the necessary keys are depressed and are then retained in their depressed position by the lock-bars 9, which bars at the same time will have tilted the arms 11 out of the grooves 15, whereby the bar 3) is released in those series in which a key has been depressed. The operating handle 39 is then moved forward (or to the right in Fig. 0), whereby the pawl 46 slides along the rack 1 t and prevents the return of the handle 39 until the same has been moved clear out to the abutment a2, when cooperation between the rack 44 and the pawl 46 is discontinued, and may shift to permit the handle 39 to be turned .in the opposite direction.

The forward movement of the operating handle 39 also acts upon the lever 37, which latter thereby swings the arm 35 forward, whereby also all of the arms 28 are swung to press against their corresponding pin 3% on each bar 3. In those series in which no key is depressed, the arm 28 only moves the bar 3 so far that the rear edge of the groove 15 abuts against the arm 14, during which those actuating pawls 21, which rest against the shaft are raised to their normal position of rest against the seat 66, as previously explained. In those series in which keys have been depressed and, accordingly, the arm 14 has been tilted out of locking position, the arms 28the spring action of which must be greater than those of the springs 71 that bring the bars 3 back to original positionwill move their corresponding bars 3 forward until the nose 7 of the depressed key meets the edge of the corresponding groove 6. When the frame 30, 31 is tilted farther, the arms 28 will be bent away from the cross-piece 30. The movement of the operating handle also moves the arm. 48 toward the operator, whereby the nose 51 is moved. into mesh with the projection of the arm 53. The forward n'lovement of the bars 3 acts to swing each corresponding actuating pawl 21 a number of steps corresponding with the particular key depressed in each series. When the handle 89 has been moved clear out to the front abutment 42 and is then released, the springs 71 move the arms and the arm 35 and the handle 39 back to original position. =At the same time the actuated bars 3 are moved rearward, whereby the pawls 21 turn their corresponding addition wheels a number of steps corresponding with the particular key depressed in each series. The return movement of the handle 39 also acts upon the arm and during the last part of this movement the nose 51 of the arm 48 acts upon the angular arm 5 whereby-the bar 58 is moved to the right, as seen in Fig. 4, and releases the keys 8, which are then pressed up to their normal position by the springs 17, whereupon the roller 86 meets the bevelled face 85. and completes the return movement of the handle 39 and also moves the arms 28 out of contact with the pins At this time the reversion pawl 14-13 has moved past the rack H- and may assume a position which allows a new rearward stroke of the handle -39.

It isseen, thus,,that the depressedand locked keys-are as. usual automatically rclcased as soon as the addition is completed. If,=h0wever, theangular lever 90,,that is mounted upon the partitiono is tilted forward, the nose orprojection 91 of the lower part of: said arm is. moved: below the arm a8, and the said automatic release ofthe keys can not take place, because theouter endof the farm 48 cannot then be lowered so far that the nose ()1; meets the. projectionof, the angular arm The barbs is accordingly not acted upon, when the handle 39 is vreturned, and the sum represented by the depressed keys maybe introduced in the addition mechanism repeatedly, by turning the handle 39 the desired number of times. The arm 90 is, therefore, used when multiplications are to be carried out.

If a key has been erroneously depressed, this is remedied by depression of the correct key, because, when the second and correct key of the series is depressed, the bar 9 thereof is turned out of mesh with the stop nose 12 of the key first depressed whereby the latter is released and moved to original position, whereas the correct key is locked in depressed position.

If an incorrect series of keys has been used, the error may be corrected by depression of the release-key 81, which acts upon the bar 58 to release all the series of keys, whereupon the correct keys may be depressed.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,

and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a calculating machine, addition wheels, pins carried by said whee-ls, movable bars having teeth formed therein, toothed wheels meshing with the toothed portion of the bars, an actuating pawl carried by each toothed wheel, means normally retaining the actuating pawl in engagement with the pins of the addition wheels, a movable part, a seat on said movable part, a shaft pivotally mounting the movable part, each pawl being maintained in its rest position by said seat.

2. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the provision of retaining pa-wls mounted on the shaft and associated with the addition Wheels.

3. In a calculating machine, addition wheels, actuating means for the addition wheels, bars associated with and adapted to set the actuating means, a series of keys associated with each bar, each bar having a groove for each key of the series associated therewith, and a nose on each key adapted, when the latter is depressed to co-act with the edges of the groove associated therewith to limit the movement of the bar, the length of said grooves being so chosen that the bar may move the actuating mechanism a dis tance corresponding with the value of the depressed key, a rotatable :lockbar extending latter in depressed position, means for autonatically. releasing the keys during the last paraof the adding operation, said releasing means including an operating handle, an arm connecting said handle, a lever, 1 means operating during the return movement of the handle to cause the arm to engage and operate the angular lever, a releasing bar associated with the rotatable locking bars adapted, when actuating, to swing the latter into said position as to release the rotatable locking bars, and means to transmit movement of the angular lever to the releasing bar whereby toefi'ect the releasing movement of the latter.

4. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the releasing bar is provided with grooves receiving the lower edges of the rotatable locking bars and permitting key locking movementof the latter.

5. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 3 characterized in that the arm is provided with a groove having inclined portions cooperating with an abutment whereby said arm is caused to lower during its rearward movement whereby to engage and operate the angular lever whereby during its opposite movement said arm is raised.

6. A calculating machine as claimed in claim 3, characterized by the provision of a pivoted lever, and means on said lever adapted to engage and maintain the arm in inoperative position whereby to prevent cooperation of the latter with the angular levers.

7. In a calculating machine, addition Wheels, actuating means for the addition wheels, bars associated with and adapted to set the actuating means, a series of keys associated with each bar, each bar having a groove for each key of the series associated therewith, a nose on each key adapted, when the latter is depressed to co-act with the edges of the groove associated therewith to limit the movement of the bar, the length of said grooves being so chosen that the bar may move the actuating mechanism a dis tance corresponding with the value of the depressed key, actuating means for the bars consisting of a shaft, a frame mounted on said shaft, and resilient actuating arms coacting with the bars having portions thereof coiled around the shaft, and means for vary ing the tension of the resilient arms.

8. In a calculating machine, addition wheels, actuating means for the addition wheels, bars associated with and adapted to set the actuating means, a series of keys associated with each bar. each bar having a groove for each key of the series associated therewith, a nose on each key adapted, when the latter is depressed to co-act with the edges of the groove associated therewith to limit the'movement of the bar, the length of said grooves being so chosen that the bar may move the actuating mechanism a distance corresponding with the value of the depressed key, a shaft, a frame mounted on said shaft, resilient actuating arms for the bars actuated by said frame, an arm carried by said frame, an operating handle, means connecting said handle with said arm, bevelled surfaces on said arm, a spring actuated roller co-acting with said bevelled surface during movement of the operating handle in a forward direction to ease. the springs acting during l'llOVOlllQIlt of the operating handle in the opposite direction upon the other bevelled surface to move the operating arm and the operating handle to a position of rest, the back-moving spring not acting upon the actuating arms during-the last part of said movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ADOLF THORVALD MOE. 

